Conveyer



June 2, 1925. 1,540,560

L. D. NELSON GONVEYER Filed 00p. 11, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H LT an uamtoz law/s D. NELYSOIY @w/ 5% fifiw 3 K dummy June 2, 1925. V 1,540,560

| D. NELSON CONVEYER Filed Oct. 11, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lew/s 0. Has on Wane sold Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES LEWIS D. NELSON, 0'! UNION CITY, MICHIGAN.

. CONVEYER.

Application filed October 11, 1920. Serial Nd. 416,191.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, LnwIs D. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union City, county of Branch, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in conveyors. The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an improved conveyor for loading and unloading cars, which may be readily adapted to the particular requirements.

Second, to provide an improved portable conveyer which is quickly and easily set up or disassembled.

Third, to provide an improved conveyer well adapted for the handling of heavy articles such as bags of cement.

F urther objects, and objects relating to structural details, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. I is a side elevation of the main and one of the supplementary units of my improved conveyer. Fig. II is a detail plan view of the structure shown in Fig. I. Fig. III is an elevation looking from the right of Fig. I, one of the supplementary units being shown by full lines in position on the truck for transporting, other units being indicated by dotted lines. Fig.' IV is an enlarged detail side elevation showing details of the conveyor driving connections. In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I Referring to the drawing, I provide a main unit designated generally by the nu- .meral 1 and a plurality of supplementary units designated generally by. the numeral 2. Only one of the supplementary units is shown in detail but it will be understood that these supplementary units are duplicates. The main unit 1 is mounted upon the truck 3 having a platform 4 extended beyond the main unit so that the supplemenvemence in description.

tary units may be stacked thereon as shown in Fig. III.

The unit 1 is supported by uprights 5 at proper height, the truck being of such dimensions and the main unit mounted there on being of such length that it can be run into a freight car. The main and supplementary units are substantially the same in structure, and I use the terms main and supplementary largely as a matter of con- Each unit comprises a pair of side members 6 having hooked coupling members 7 at their ends.

The coupling members at both ends of main unit 1 are arranged to face upwardly, while the coupling members of supplementary units are arranged with the coupling members at the inner ends facing downwardly and those at the outer ends facing upwardly sothat these coupling members may be engaged by a swinging movement of the units and the side members supported with their ends in abuttingrelation as illustrated. The supplementary units are provided with folding legs 8. Each unit is provided with a pair of carrier shafts 9 supported by bearing blocks 10 which are slotted at 11 to receive the bolts 12 so that a limited adjustment is provided for the shafts.

The shafts are provided with pinions or gears 13 disposed on the outer sides of. the side members. The shafts have sprocket wheels 14 for the carrier chains 15 which are provided with cross pieces 16 so that each unit has a complete carrier. When the units are disposed in an abutting relation these carriers are disposed end to end so that they provide a continuous conveyer. The carriers of the supplementary units are driven from the preceding unit of the series through the idlers 17 which are arranged on the. stub shafts 18 meshing with the inionsof the outer carrier shafts, so that w ion the units are brought into assembled relation the pinions of the inner carrier shafts are meshed with the idler pinions thereby driving the conveyors of the supplementary units in the proper direction. One of the pinions 17 of the main conveyer serves as a driving pinion, its stub shaft 19' being provided with a sprocket 20 connected by the sprocket chain 21to the transmission shaft 22. This shaft 22 has a pair of reversing gears 23 coacting with the gear 24 on the motor shaft 25, the motor 26 being shown conventionally,

With this arrangement the main unit may be driven in either direction thereby driving the conveyer in either direction to deliver to or from either end of a car or otherwise as may be desired.

My improved conveyer is specially designed by me and is very desirable for loading and unloading cars although advan tageous for use in many other relations.

I have illustrated an adaptation which I have found very satisfactory for the handling of cement and like heavy objects. I have illustrated my improvements mainly in conventional form as the structural details thereof may be greatly varied and form no part of this invention.

I have not attempted to illustrate or describe certain adaptations which I contemplate as I believe the disclosures made will enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to embody or adapt same as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a conveyer, the combination of a main unit and a plurality of supplementary units each comprising side members, a carrier for e'aclr' unit comprising shafts provided with sprocket wheels disposed at the ends of said side members, chains on said sprocket wheels provided with cross pieces said shafts being arranged so that when the units are assembled end to end with the ends of the side pieces abutting the unit carriers are brought end to end, .oppositely disposed coacting coupling hooks disposed on the under sides of said unit side members to interlock when the side members are brought into abutting relation, pinions on the ends of said carrier shafts, coacting idler pinions at the outer end of each unit adapted to mesh with the pinions on shafts at the inner ends of the units when the units are in assembled relation, collapsible legs at the outer ends of the supplementary units, a truck on which the main unit is mounted, amotor on said truck, and driving connections therefor to the main unit carrier including a reversing means, said truck being provided with a platform adapted toreceive the disassembled supplementary units.

2. In a conveyer, the combination of a main unit and a plurality (if supplementary units each comprising side members, a carrier for each unit comprising shafts provided with sprocket wheels disposed at the ends of said side members, chains on said sprocket wheels provided with cross pieces, said shafts being arranged to that when the units are assembled end to end with the ends of the side pieces abutting the unit carriers are brought end to end, oppositely disposed coacting coupling hooks disposed on the under sides of said unit side members to interlock when the side members are brought into abutting relation, pinions on the ends of said carrier shafts, coacting idler inions at the outer end of each unit adapte to mesh with the pinions on shafts at the inner ends of the units when the units are in assembled relation, a truck on which the main unit is mounted, a motor on said truck, and driving connections therefor to the main unit carrier including a reversing means, said truck being provided with a platform adapted to receive the disassembled supplementary units.

3. In a conveyer,the combination of amain unit and a plurality of supplementary units adapted to be operatively associated at either end of said main unit, each unit comprising side members, a carrier for each unit. comprising shafts provided with sprocket wheels disposed at the ends of said-side members, chains on said sprocket wheels provided with cross pieces, said shafts being arranged so that when the units are assembled end to end with the ends of the side pieces abutting the unit carriers are brought end to end, oppositely disposed cgacting coupling hooks disposed on the under sides of said unit side members to interlock when the side members are brought into abutting relation, pinions on the ends of said carrier shafts, coacting idler pinions at the outer end of each unit adapted to mesh with the pinions on shafts at the inner ends of the units when the units are in assembled relameans including a reversing means.

4. In a conveyer, the combination of a main unit and a plurality of supplementary units adapted to be operatively associated at either end of said main unit, each unit comprising side members, a carrier for each unit comprising shafts provided with sprocket wheels disposed at the ends of said side members. chains on said sprocket wheels provided with cross pieces, said shafts being arranged so that when the units are assembled end to end with the ends of the side pieces abutting the unit carriers are brought end to end, oppositely disposed coacting coupling hooks disposed on the under sides of said unit side members to interlock when the side members are brought into abutting relation, pinions on the ends of said carrier shafts, coacting idler pinions at the outer end of each unit adapted to mesh with the pinions on shafts at the inner ends of the units when the units are in assembled relation, and driving means for the carrier of said main unit, said driving means including reversing means.

5. In a conveyer, the combination of a main unit and a plurality of supplementary units adapted to be operatively associated at either end of said main unit, a carrier hand and seal in the presence of two witfor each unit provided with driving mealllls nesses. brou ht into 0 rative relation when t e unitsi are assemiii ed end to end,and means LEWIS NELSON 5 for driving the carrier of the main unit com- Witnesses:

prising reversing means. L. WILLBUR, In witness whereof I have hereunto set my THELMA HULL. 

